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Detroit Lions vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Live updates, highlights from preseason finale

Published

4 months ago

August 24, 2024

Press Room

Detroit Lions vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Live updates, highlights from preseason finale

The final Detroit Lions preseason game has arrived.

The Lions take on the Pittsburgh Steelers at Ford Field on Saturday afternoon in the final exhibition game of the preseason. It is the final chance for the coaching staff and front office to determine who will make the opening day 53-man roster for the season opener against the Rams in 15 days.

PREGAME READ: ‘Miracle child’ Mitchell Agude vying for spot with Detroit Lions years after accident

There aren’t many spots left up for grabs on the Lions’ contending-level roster, a testament to the roster overhaul in the last three seasons, but Campbell said earlier this week there were around a half-dozen slots still open. The Lions’ starters will rest, allowing young players and the depth pieces to fight for those spots. Here’s Dave Birkett’s prediction of what the 53-man roster may look like by the deadline at 4 p.m. on Tuesday if you are curious.

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This is the only preseason game this year at Ford Field and kicks off at 1 p.m. The game will be aired on Fox 2 in Detroit (WJBK) and streamed on NFL+ and Fubo (free trial) and the 97.1 WXYT-FM radio airwaves.

Follow along below for live updates from Ford Field.

Detroit Lions vs. Pittsburgh Steelers preseason live updates, highlights

The Lions have had no success on offense in the first half with Hendon Hooker running the show. The Lions went three-and-out again after a third-down sack sank the drive again. This time, left tackle Giovanni Manu was beaten off the edge, forcing Hooker to step up into edge rusher Julius Welschof, who beat center Kingsley Eguakun in the middle. The Lions have seven net yards after four possessions with two first downs and are 2/6 on third-down conversion attempts. The Lions have given up four sacks and Hooker has struggled to find a rhythm navigating the collapsing pocket.

The Steelers quickly turned the fumble into a touchdown to double up the Lions early. Justin Fields came into the game for the second series to replace Russell Wilson under center. The Steelers kept the ball on the ground for all but one play, methodically moving the ball through Lions territory outside of a 22-yard Fields completion to tight end MyCole Pruitt, who slipped behind linebacker Ty Summers while Fields was moving outside of the pocket. After a holding call against defensive tackle Brodric Martin on the goal line, Perine stuffed it home on a read option from a yard out.

Hendon Hooker, making his home debut with the Lions, got the start over Nate Sudfeld to lead the Lions backup offense, but the first possession did not go as planned. The Lions picked up one first down on a nice extended play by Hooker, finding tight end Shane Zylstra, but took three straight sacks on the next set of downs, including a strip sack on third down, giving the ball to Pittsburgh at Detroit’s 35. Herbig got around starting right tackle Colby Sorsdal and slapped Hooker’s arm while he was cocking to throw, jarring it loose.

The Steelers starting offense got things started with a 60-yard touchdown drive lasting just over two minutes. Starting quarterback Russell Wilson converted a 3rd-and-11 with a 32 yard gain on a flag route to George Pickens, who easily separated from corner Essang Bassey. Two plays later, Cordarrelle Patterson took an off-tackle run to the left and made Brandon Joseph miss for the big touchdown run.

Pregame notes

The Lions will roll with the quarterback duo of Nate Sudfeld and Hendon Hooker as the two continue to battle for the backup spot behind Jared Goff. Campbell said Tuesday the last preseason game is critical for Hooker, who will be playing in his third NFL game ever and had to leave the first preseason game early.

“We want to get (Hooker) a real good look,” Campbell said. “We’d love to get him a lot of reps this week. I think the idea would be, you’d love to start him this week. I’d like to start him, and then it’s just a matter of how much does he play? Is it a couple of series and Nate goes in and then he’s back? Or is it a quarter or is it a half? But he’s going to get a really good look.”

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Rookie Sione Vaki has been one of the early stars of the first two preseason games as a receiving option out of the backfield and should handle plenty of work against Pittsburgh along with Craig Reynolds, Zonovan Knight and Jermar Jefferson. The depth options at receiver behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Kalif Raymond are fighting for a spot and the last game will determine who makes it between options like Donovan Peoples-Jones, Isaiah Williams and Daurice Fountain. The depth pieces on the offensive line, particularly the interior, will also be under a close look to find the last backup for Detroit’s top unit.

On defense, the main competition is at edge rusher and in the secondary. The final safety spot likely comes down to C.J. Moore and Brandon Joseph while Khalil Dorsey, Kindle Vildor and Steven Gilmore fight for a spot at cornerback. Isaac Ukwu, Mitchell Agude and Mathieu Betts will all get extensive playing time at edge to determine the final backups on the defensive line.

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Pittsburg, PA

Steelers fall to Ravens, 34-17

Published

6 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

The two miscues by Wilson spoiled an otherwise solid game for the Steelers quarterback. With the Steelers playing without top wide receiver George Pickens, Wilson threw for 217 yards and two touchdowns.

But it was the turnovers and Baltimore’s rushing attack that led to the Steelers (10-5) failing in their attempt to clinch the AFC North title.

Even with the loss, the Steelers remain in first place in the AFC North, tied with Baltimore (10-5) based on tiebreakers. The Steelers can still win the division title if they win their remaining final two games.

The Steelers host the Chiefs on Christmas Day, then finish the regular season at home against Cincinnati, while the Ravens travel to Houston on Christmas Day and host Cleveland.

Lamar Jackson, who entered this game having thrown five touchdown passes and eight interceptions in his career against the Steelers, leading to a 1-4 record, threw three touchdown passes and one interception.

This game was more about Baltimore’s running game, however, as Derrick Henry gained 162 yards on 24 carries as Baltimore, which entered having lost eight of the past nine games against the Steelers, rushed for over 200 yards in the game.

The Ravens drove across midfield on their opening possession, but Alex Highsmith had a strip sack of Jackson. And though the Ravens recovered the loose ball, they were out of field goal range and forced to punt.

The punt, however, was downed at 3 and the Steelers failed to record a first down, punting the ball back to Baltimore.

Return man Desmond King fumbled, but the Ravens recovered that loose ball, as well, and after Henry carried the Ravens inside the 10, Jackson tossed an 8-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely for a 7-0 lead.

The Steelers answered quickly, though, as Wilson completed all six of his passes on the ensuing possession to five different receivers, including a 1-yard TD pass to tight end Mycole Pruitt on the opening play of the second quarter to tie the game at 7-7.

The Steelers forced a punt on Baltimore’s ensuing possession, and it went just 14 yards, giving Pittsburgh the ball at its own 44.

Wilson again quickly moved the Steelers down the field. But at the end of a 20-yard scramble, he was hit by safety Ar’Darious Washington at the 4 and fumbled, with Baltimore recovering.

That would prove to be a big swing, as the Ravens drove the length of the field from there in eight plays, scoring on a 14-yard touchdown pass to Rashod Bateman from Jackson on third-and-8 to take a 14-7 lead.

It was only the third touchdown this season allowed by the Steelers following a turnover.

The Steelers were forced to punt and Baltimore got into field goal range for a 51-yard Justin Tucker kick that increased its lead to 17-7 with just under two minutes remaining in the half.

But Wilson deftly maneuvered the Steelers into scoring range for Chris Boswell at the end of the half, a 51-yard field goal of his own, that cut the lead to 17-10.

The two teams traded punts to open the second half when the Steelers got the ball back at their own 12. Wilson connected with Calvin Austin III off of play-action down the sideline for a 44-yard gain on the first play from scrimmage and then finished off the drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Cordarrelle Patterson to tie the game at 17-17 with 5:14 remaining in the third quarter.

The completion to Patterson marked the ninth different Steelers player to make a catch at that point.

But working against a Pittsburgh pass defense that opened the game without safety DeShon Elliott and cornerback Donte Jackson and then lost corner Joey Porter Jr. to a calf injury in the first half, Jackson threw his third touchdown pass of the game, this one to tight end Mark Andrews from 7 yards out to put the Ravens back on top, 24-17.

It was the first touchdown catch by Andrews – Baltimore’s all-time touchdowns leader – in 11 career games against the Steelers.

The Steelers drove across midfield on their next possession, and on fourth-and-6 from the 45, the Steelers kept the offense on the field. On the opening play of the fourth quarter, Wilson took the shotgun snap and scanned the field. Austin broke free over the middle and he attempted to hit him at the goal line. But safety Kyle Hamilton came in and broke up the pass and the Steelers turned the ball over on downs.

Henry broke free for a 44-yard run to the Pittsburgh 11. But on the next play, Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepted Jackson at the Pittsburgh 8 and returned it 24 yards to the 32 to turn the Ravens away.

But after a first-down run, Wilson threw a pass behind Pruitt that was intercepted by Marlon Humphrey and returned 37 yards for a touchdown that increased Baltimore’s lead to 31-17 with just over 13 minutes remaining in the game.

The Ravens added a 23-yard Tucker field goal with 3:10 remaining in the game to push their lead to 34-17.

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